How to Make Christmas Tea Cakes

These are the most delicious special Christmas (or any other winter holiday) cookies! Pretty, powdered sugar-covered balls, they're a cross between Russian Tea Cakes and Pfefferneusse. They have the zing of the German spice cookie, with the tender, melt in your mouth texture of the tea cake. Once your family and friends taste them, you'll have them on the menu every year!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Baking Sheets or Cookie Pans
• Parchment Paper or Cooling Rack
• Bag or Container for Sugaring Cookies
• White All Purpose Flour
• Unsalted Butter
• Lightly Toasted Hazelnuts
• Powdered Sugar
• Vanilla
• Salt
• Nutmeg
• Ginger
• Cardamom
• White Pepper
• Orange Rind

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Toast 3/4 cup Hazelnuts in saute pan over medium heat, until fragrant, stirring frequently. This will take about 5 to 8 minutes. Allow the nuts to cool.
3. Put the cooled Nuts, all the powdered Spices, the Orange Rind, and 2 tablespoons of Confectioners' Sugar into a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Finely grind all ingredients and set aside. (You can also chop these with a knife, or grind in a blender.)
4. Cream 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar with 1 cup of Unsalted Butter until light and fluffy.
5. To butter and sugar, add 2 cups Flour, 1/2 tsp of Vanilla, 1/2 tsp of Salt, and stir gently, but thoroughly. When almost combined, add Nut mixture and finish stirring.
   Cover and refrigerate the dough for about one hour, or until firm.
6. Form the dough into 1 inch balls (about golf ball size) and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake about 15-20 minutes, or until light brown in color. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10-15 minutes.
7. Place 2 cups confectioners' sugar in 1-gallon plastic bag, or other container. Place 5-6 warm cookies at a time in sugar and shake gently to cover. Remove and allow to cool. Continue until all cookies are sugared.
8. When cookies are completely cool, shake again with confectioners' sugar to thoroughly coat.
9. Serve with hot chocolate, hot cider, tea, coffee, or just by themselves. The hardest part will be not eating them all at once!

Tips & Warnings

• Rotate baking pan halfway through.
• If using 2 pans at once, also switch positions of both pans at halfway point.
• These cookies make great holiday gifts!
• Watch these cookies closely. As soon as you see golden color, remove them from the oven.
• These are delicate cookies. Handle gently until cool to avoid breakage.
• Oven temperatures can vary widely. If possible, use an oven thermometer.